Mechanism for forming counter-stiffeners



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

MECHANISM FOR FORMING COUNTER STIFPBNERS.

No. 385,745. Patented July 10,1888.

w 66, 1120;. flaw (No Model.) 2 Sheets-S11eet 2.

P. COX.

MECHANISM FOR FORMING COUNTER STIFFENERS.

No. 885,745. Patented July 10, 1888.

Pq "w N. PETERS, FhmrrLilhcgnphur, Wnihingum D Q NITE STATES PATRICKCOX, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MECHANlSlVl FOR FORlVllNG COUNTER=STIFFENEFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,745, dated July 10,1888.

Application filed October 7, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK COX, of Roch ester, county of Monroe, andState of New York, have invented an Improvement in Mechanisms for andMethods of Manufactu ring Oounter-Stiffeners, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel mechanism for theproduction of a novel counter-stiffener from leather, the method orprocess of manufacturing the counterstiffener being also novel.

Counter stiffeners are now made from leather blanks in the followingmanner, viz: by pounding the leather blank laid upon the last until itconforms to or tits the heel of the last; also, by subjecting the blankto the action of molds, between the surfaces of which the blank issubjected to pressure alone or to pressure combined with a rubbingaction; and so, also, a leather blank has been subjected to the actionof rolls to partially shape the blank, to be thereafter treated andfinally shaped in a mold, or by jaws which are made to rub upon theblank supported upon a heel-shaped form. These methods of manufacture sothicken or harden the material as to break or distort the fiber of theblank to the extent of destroying its natural resiliency, thus greatlyimpairing the utility of the counter-stiffener.

In those processes wherein the action of the molds, dies, or rollshardens the blank it has been found necessary to at the same time bendthe lower edge of the blank inwardly to form the heel-seat; but theflange so turned and set by pressure is so stiff and hard that it cannotbe readily fitted to the heel of the last, but retains the curve givento it in its manufacture.

In the manufacture of counterstiffeners by the methods referred to, theoperation is substantially the same whether the heelform moves into jawsor the heel-form remains stationary and the jaws move over it, orwhether a hinged or divided mold be used. In either case the shape givento the counter-stiffener is due to the slipping or rubbing of a movablesurface along one side of the blank only,while the latter is supportedat its other side upon a stationary surface. So, also, in all theseSerial No. 251,713. (No model.)

older plans the flange of the stiffener is wiped,

rubbed, or burnished over positively upon the form, follower, or rollagainst which rests the inner side of the blank, and by a directpressure against the said blank from. its outside; but all such methodsare in my judgment hurtful and inexpcdicnt because the shape given tothe stiffener is derived from pressure between two surfaces, whichharden the material to such an extent as to practically destroy itsnatural resiliency or adaptability to the heel of the wearer of the bootor shoe. In none of these older methods is the blank material stretchedor elongated in the direction of its length, and when the body of theblank is not so stretched, but is curved to fit the heel-form, theinturned flanged edge of the blank, as it is made to fit the bottom ofthe form, is very much crimped or corrugated and has to be hammered downand shaved off in the shoe, and such counters, with a hardened stiffseat, cannot be used in turned work.

A perfectly-shaped counter should be thin, so as to take up but littlespace in the shoe and not mark its outline against the upper, and smoothand elastic near its base, so as to be easily worked into the shoe andpermit the same to be turned or reversed in the process ofmanufacturing, and yet the counter must be sufficiently stiff to retainthe heel of the shoe in the desired position, and its lower edge shouldbe sufficiently pliable to be easily bent or flanged around the edge ofthe last and lie flat against the bottom thereof and adjust itself tothe con figuration of the particular last upon which it is used. So,also, the upper line or edge of the counter-stifi'ener should besufficiently contracted to embrace or fit that portion of the heelopposite it, and the counter-stiffener should possess and permanentlyretain sufiicient elasticity to expand for the insertion of the footwithin the shoe, and then contract to hug or grasp snugly the heel ofthe wearer to prevent slipping of the shoe upon the foot.

In accordance with my invention the leather blank, of usual shape andproperly moistened, is placed upon a heel-form of such shape as tosupport the blank intermediate its ends for but a part of its width, andin such condition the ends of the blank, grasped positively be tweenjaws, is pulled and stretched from its ends through its central partmore than along its edges, thereby causing the blank to curl in thedirection of its width until the previouslyunsupported portions of theblank at or near its edges are made to tit and conform snugly to theheel-form. In this manner no part of the stiffener is subjected topressure or to rubbing friction and pressure in the-direction of thethickness of the blank to thu's harden it; but the central part of thecounter stiffener is stretched and bulged to present a coneavo-convexedappearance at the middle of its length in the direction of its width,the bottom or straight part of the blank curled inwardly by stretchingthe blank in its median line, forming a lip or flange, which is leftsoft and pliable and with but few, if any, wrinkles, the flanged portionas well as the main body and upper edge of the blank retainingsubstantially all its natural resiliency to be readily conformable notonly to the last in the manufacture of the shoe, but also to the foot ofthe wearer. I

My invention consists in a saddle to support the blank for a portion ofits width at or near the center ofits length, combined with clamps tograsp the ends of the blank, and with means to change the relativepositions of the saddle and clamps, whereby the blank is stretched alongits median line more than along its lower or straight edges, as will bedescribed.

My invention also comprehends that im provement in the art or method offorming heel-stifi'eners, which consists in positively stretching theblank by a direct pull between its center and ends, whereby the blank iselongated in its median line more than at its lower edge, which causesthe said edge to curl inwardly to constitute a flange for the stiffener,as will be described.

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a machine embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, a partial section thereofin the line a7; Fig. 8, apartial top view of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3*, a detail to bereferred to; Fig. 4, a plan view ofa blank for the manufacture of acounter-stiffener before the same is stretched in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 5 shows said blank after it has been stretched andopened out; and Figs. 6 and 7 are sections, respectively, of Figs. 4 and5 in the dotted line as, looking to the left.

The standard or base A, toconstitute the frame-work of the machine, hasan arm, A, upon which, as herein shown, is pivoted at A one end of anarm or lever, A, having a saddle, A, the middle portion of which, as ata, is higher than at the points a a at each side thereof, and so, also,this saddle is widest in the line a, (see Fig. 2,) it being graduallytapered or contracted from the line ac toward its junction with the armor lever A The standard supports a head,b, herein shown as provided atits upper side with a dovetailed groove, into which is fitted thecorrespondingly shaped shank of a block, b, of wedge shape, the saidblock being made adjustable longitudinally with relation to the saidhead by means of an adjusting device, shown as a screw, lf provided nearits head with an'annular groove, which receives the upper forked end ofa leg, attached by screws 1) to the head I). The outer sides of thisblock b are serrated, as shown at If, to co-operate withcorrespondiugly-serrated surfaces 0 at the upper ends of levers a,pivoted by bolts 0 eX- tended through ears of the head I), the saidlevers near their lower ends beingprovided with cam projections orsurfaces, as c, which are acted upon by rolls 0, attached to a block orcr0ss-head,.c", secured to the upper end of a rod, 0, attached to atreadle or lever, G, pivoted at G. The levers 0, their serrated surfacesc, and the serrated surfaces Not the block b constitute clamps to graspand. hold positively the ends of the blank B when the same is to bestretched.

The rollers 0, when depressed through the action of the treadle 0, actupon the cam-sun faces 0 and force the upper serrated ends of the levers0 against the ends of the blank laid over the saddle a, the doubledotted line in Fig. 1 immediately above the saddle being supposed torepresent the blank in section when it is first laid upon the saddle andbefore the blank is at all stretched.

The rear end of the treadle or lever O has jointed to it at d the foot dof a rod, d, which is extended upward loosely through suitable bearingsand terminates normally near the under side of the lever or arm A Thisrod is surrounded by a spiral spring, d, one end of which rests againsta collar, d", made adjustable on a threaded portion of the said rod,While the upper end of the spring rests against a fixed part of theframe-work, the said spring acting normally to keep the longer end ofthe treadle C elevated, as shown in Fig. 1.

Vith the parts as represented in the drawings, a moistened blank, B, ofleather, of substantially the shape shown in Fig. 4, is laid over thesaddle A", and the ends of the blank are placed in open spaces betweenthe serrated surfaces of the clamps referred to, as shown in Fig. 2 bydotted lines, the inside of the blank (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) restingupon the high part of the saddle and not touching the portions (0 athereof, especially not touching the portion a. In this condition theoperator places his foot upon the treadle O and depresses the same, heat the same time raising the rod d up; but as or be fore the upper endof the said rod meets the lever or arm A the rollers c referred to actto close the clamps upon and so as to firmly hold the ends of the blank.The operator continues to depress the treadle after the clamps have beenclosed, as described, and, through the rod 62*, it meeting the lever Alifts the said lever and saddle A which results in stretchapplied to itscening the blank by a strain ICC tral part, its ends being clamped, andthe said blank is stretched in the direction of its length along themedian line :0 (see Fig. 4) until the edges of the blank by curlingdownward meet and conform to and fit the top a a of the sad dle snugly,the part of the blank marked 6 in Fig. 7 being thereby turned in toconstitute the flange for the stiffener, the upper edge, e, of the blankbeing also somewhat turned in, leaving a eoncavo-eonvexed counterstiffener, as best shown in Fig. 7, all the parts of which retain thenatural resiliency due to the leather, so that the blank so shaped maybe readily applied to a last in the manufacture of a shoe and be made toreadily conform to the curvature of the last, as has been described.

I do not desire to limit my invention to a machine in which the saddleis moved positively away from the clamps, as I consider the reversal ofthis operation would come within the scope of my invention.

In accordance with my invention it will be noticed that the main part ofthe counter stiff ener is not hardened or compressed between metallic orother surfaces.

In Fig. 4 I have marked upon the blank a series of vertical lines, as f,and in practice when the blank is stretched these vertical lines assumesubstantially the direction shown in Fig. 5, such lines being shown todelineate the curvature which is put into the blank by s! retching thesame.

Fig. 3 shows the counter-stiflener as pulled and stretched to conform tothe saddle.

The method or process herein described forms the subjeetmatter of anapplication for patent, Serial No. 257,110, filed on the 6th day ofDecember, 1887.

I claim- 1. In a machine for the manufacture of counter-stiifeners, asaddle to support a blank for a portion only of its width at or near itscenter between its ends, and clamps to grasp the ends of the blank,combined with means to change the relative positions of the saddle andclamps to pull and stretch the blank in its median line in the directionof its length and cause the edges of the blank while being pulled andstretched to conform to the shape of the saddle, substantially asdescribed.

2. The saddle A, having a surface, as a a" a to support the central partof the counterstiffener blank, and the block b, combined with the jaws cc, to cooperate with the said block b, and constitute clamps to graspthe ends of the said block, and with means, substantially as described,to operate the said jaws and saddle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PATRICK COX.

\Vitnesses:

POMEROY MoKINsoN, WILLIAM J. llIORAN.

